Smith Rock

Smith Rock, Crooked River, 18" x 24"

One of my favorite subjects, the magnificent jumble of Smith Rock (should be rocks) in Terrebonne, with the Crooked River deep below.  I've painted there plein air and from photos.  Two acrylic paintings done from this photo were sold and I miss them, so I wanted to paint it again in oil, larger than usual.  Painting large is different from painting small, it's not just about using a bigger brush!  I took my time on this canvas, adding layers, making changes, moving rocks...Someday a super zealous hiker may tell me that I missed a rock, but it's a painting, not a map!

Red Ridge, Central Oregon, oil 8" x 8"

Another 8" square panel that did not work out in time for the Big 500, had to scrape it off and re-do

the red ridge.  Lately I've been enjoying scraping and wiping off as much as painting!  There is something about the dramatic shapes and colors of the painted hills near Prineville and Oregon central desert geography that sometimes looks unreal in a painting.  So I just keep trying to capture the rugged beauty.

Day 27

Paradise Cove, Twilight, oil 9" x 12" canvas board $135

Paradise Cove, a short drive from Madras, downhill, then uphill and across a narrow bridge to this place to view the fading light, colors glowing on bare cliffs.  There was a single small boat, just a dot, I left it out but remember the feeling of peace and solitude.  Maybe next time I'll be there on a boat, painting!

Day 25

Desert Gold, oil 10" x 10" on canvas, $125

Now I've just about caught up with #30paintingsin30days challenge!  Yesterday morning's photo did not look right when I was going to post it last night, so had to wait for daylight to photograph it again. Meanwhile, I painted this one of the area west of Madras, where we were looking for a creek to go fishing and ended up rock hunting instead!  Lots of rocks, sagebrush and dramatic desert scenery, not as red as the Painted Hills, more like gold glinting in the sunlight hinting at hidden treasure.